This invention relates to a device for presenting and subsequently, automatically retracting feed stock of arbitrary length from a `servicer` which allows the stock to be fed (hence referred to as `feed stock`) when it is manually pulled; and, to a method of removing a predetermined length of such feed stock from storage, such as in a bale or roll thereof, by manually pulling upon the stock, cutting off a predetermined portion of feed stock to obtain a cut portion for use, and retracting the remaining unused portion of feed stock (referred to herein as "unused stock" for brevity). When retracted, the unused stock is out of the immediate zone of tire building operations and does not interfere with subsequent operations using the cut portion. The device of this invention is simple, rugged, and compact enough to be located on or under a dispensing means for stored feed stock of any cross section which presents a surface which may be frictionally engaged between roller surfaces so that the stock will `follow` a roller surface in contact with it, essentially without slipping.
In the building of tires, predetermined lengths of uncured tire building component stocks are cut and the cut portions used as breaker plies (also referred to as "breakers" or "belts") incorporated in the crown area of a tire, whether radial ply, bias ply, or other ply configuration, a two stage process. During the first stage of building, a cylindrical carcass is formed having (a) one or more rubber covered cord plies wound around and interconnecting axially spaced, parallel, coaxial, bead cores, and (b) a layer of rubber sidewall stock on each sidewall of the carcass intermediate the eventual crown area thereof and the two bead areas thereof. Such a carcass is referred to as a "first stage carcass". During the second stage of building, the shape of the first stage carcass is changed from a cylinder to a toroid and one or more rubber covered cord belts ("belts" for brevity) and a rubber tread are added to the crown portion of the carcass to form what is referred to herein as a "green tire". The belts and the rubber tread are each manually pulled from, and then a desired length is cut from a roll of appropriate feed stock for use in building a green tire.
The device of this invention is a spring actuated cam retractor which is particularly useful in conjunction with any generally laminar feed stock a portion of which must be cut for use. The spring actuated cam retractor is still more particularly adapted for use with the servicer of a tire building machine, in conjunction with a feed tray thereof. Such tire servicers are well known and described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,658,691; 3,216,879; 3,230,132; 3,429,490; 3,556,901; 3,551,252; 3,600,252; and 3,795,563 inter alia. The method of removing stock with subsequent automatic retraction of the unused stock, saves the time and energy an operator normally expends to manually position the unused stock out of his way.